Redevelopment of the north-west access point to Ferrara
Ferrara, Italy
The project calls for a redesign of the existing road network to improve vehicular flows and manoeuvres, as well as enhance safety for vulnerable road users, promote cycling, and increase the quantity and quality of green spaces.
The work is being funded under the Italian PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan).
The area is a necessary passage point for entering and leaving Ferrara. The roads that make up the junction have a strongly suburban character with wide carriageway sections, limited space for pedestrians and cyclists, and poor quality green islands and residual areas.
The regeneration project will transform the north-west access point and its infrastructural framework to favour the development and reorganisation of the entire city quadrant.
By subtracting road space away from cars and creating gardens and a cycle and pedestrian network, the project will prioritise pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users.
On behalf of the Municipality of Ferrara, MIC-HUB led a working group together with Studio Silva, Stain and CST to develop the project, which the construction companies Sintexcal and Boschiva started developing at the beginning of June 2024.
Location
Ferrara, Italy
Client
Municipality of Ferrara
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
- Restoration of urban and environmental value to the area
- Definition of road sections to favour modal split
- Regeneration of infrastructure designed for soft mobility
- Regeneration of public space
Project gallery
-
Via Marconi - Before
-
Via Marconi - After
-
Piazza Marconi - Before
-
Piazza Marconi - Before
-
North-west access point - Before
-
North-west access point - After
-
North-west access point - Before
-
North-west access point - After
-
Project Plan
-
The future road section will favour the modal split, promoting alternative mobility options to the car
-
Our contribution
The design of the public space, developed by MIC-HUB, focuses on three main components:
• The reorganisation of the street hierarchy,
• The redevelopment of cycle and pedestrian network connections,
• The regeneration of the urban landscape.
The street reorganisation involves an analysis of the city and its future vocations, identifying the key traffic routes and ensuring accessibility to future transformation areas.
The existing cycle network in Ferrrara has also been reorganised and redefined by the design of the landscape. The objective is to create a clear and easily navigable network that can be used by all citizens and guarantee all connections.
The project will create new cycle and pedestrian links connecting the area to the VenTo cycle route, which is the longest cycle path in Italy.
The regeneration of public space has been interpreted through a series of gardens and small landscaped squares, created from disused areas or reclaimed through the removal of paved surfaces.
The project will create a new, inclusive plaza: a welcoming and safe, high-quality green environment. It is designed to create a link to the city fronts and the bordering retail establishments.
The project is designed to be flexible and progressive, with a time frame that aligns with the strategic actions in the SUMP of Ferrara. The plan includes three successive design scenarios that will allow a better urban balance of the current vehicular infrastructure.
